Ch. 5 - THE ROOTS OF RELIGION

Chris OConnor · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:25 pm Post subject: Ch. 5 - THE ROOTS OF RELIGION

This thread is for discussing Chapter 5 - THE ROOTS OF RELIGION ::124

ginof · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:12 am Post subject: Re: Ch. 5 - THE ROOTS OF RELIGION

i thought of another explanations for the 'anting' behavior discussed on p 164/5:

Anting HAD a purpose but no longer does. we don't find its purpose now because it's impossible. However, the behavior still exists because the 'mutation' to stop doing it has not yet occurred.

I don't think this in any way takes away from the argument for natural selection

edwin · Newbie Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Posts: 1 Gender:

I have enjoyed reading the book up to this chapter, where I begin to loose momentum.

In particular, I feel a bit uncomfortable when Dawkins comes up with the idea that religion is a by-product of evolution, and thus undermining the power of evolution for those who believe in it. (I myself is NOT a believer of evolution).

I think he himself also finds his point weak. This is why he spends a lot of pages trying to explain his idea. He even comes up with an experiment that has never been carried out. But he presumes the outcomes anyway.

Here is my doubt. If you are a real evolutionist, everything that survives a long period must be useful in some sense. Either we can explain its function or we cannot. We cannot just praise those that we like, and for the rest we label them as by-products, or useless pieces that are just lying there for no reason (i.e., by chance).

I think it is alright for the believers of evolution to admit that religion has its usefulness in the evolution of human kind. Whether it is a 'delusion' or not is not the point here.

Chris OConnor

Religion is useful as a tool for quenching man's thirst for knowledge and answers. Religion doesn't provide valid answers, but it takes away the pain of not knowing. And for some people this is enough.

There are those of us that would rather have a gap in our knowledge or understanding than accept a myth that makes us feel warm and fuzzy. Religion is an opiate and nothing more. There are far better tools for investigating and discovering how our world operates and how best we should live our lives, but the tools I refer to are more difficult to wield than blind faith. This is why there are so many more believers than critical thinkers.


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